Electric circuit operating device



June 16, 1953 R. c. HASCALL ELECTRIC CIRCUIT OPERATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 27, 1950 a U\H "x" 4 4 INVENTOR. fimvmxw C A nscwzz June 16, 1953 R. c. HASCALL 2,642,504

- ELECTRIC CIRCUIT OPERATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 160/490 C 1644:0914

Patented June 16, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,642,504 ELECTRIC CIRCUIT OPERATING DEVICE Richard CJHascall, Detroit, Mich. Application September 2'7, 1950, Serial No. 187,110 2 Claims. (Cl. 200'54) This invention relates generally to electric circuit operating devices, and refers more particularly to improved means for controlling an electric circuit in response to relative movement of a pair of members.

The present invention may be used to advantage for operating an electrical device within an enclosure having an access opening and having a door hingedly supported for closing the access opening. For example, in vehicle bodies it is customary to provide illuminating means arranged in an electric circuit which is closed automatically when the door is swung to an open position, and is opened automatically when the door is returned to its closed position.

It is an object of this invention'to provide an electric circuit control switch having parts respectively operated by the coacting members of a hinge upon relative movement of the members in opposite directions to alternately make and break the electric circuit.

It is another object of this invention to provide a construction wherein one side of the circuit to be controlled is electrically connected to a bar carried by one member of a pair of relatively movable members, and the other side of the circuit is electrically connected to'a contact part which is carried by the other member in a position to s'lidably engage the bar. In single wire systems where the contactor part is grounded through the members, the bar is electrically insulated from the members and a dielectric element is positioned on the bar to engage the contactor part in one relative posi tion of the members to break the electric circuit.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an assembly of the above type having means on the bar for limiting relative movement of the hinge members to their respective open positions. In one embodiment of the invention the means on the bar coacts with the contactor to check relative movement of the hinge members to open position, so that the arm and contactor not only serve as a switch, but in addition, act as a door check.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an assembly of the above type which may be inexpensively manufactured, assembled and installed.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view partly in section of a hinge assembly embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a part of the construction shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure'2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing .a modified form of construction;

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of another embodiment of this invention;

Figure 8 is a side elevational view partly .in section :of still another embodiment of this invention;

Figure 9 is a plan view partly in section of a further modification of this invention;

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view through the insulated portion of the bar of the construction shown in Figure 9; and

Figure 11 is a sectional view showing a further embodiment of the invention.

For the purpose of illustrating the present invention, I have selected a type of hinge assembly which is used extensively in the auto-- motive "industry for supporting vehicle body doors. Also I have shown the switch means as responsive to relative movement of the hinge members to make and break a single wire circuit to suitable illuminating means preferably located within the body of the vehicle. It will, however, be understood from the following description that the present invention is not necessarily' limited to vehicle body door hinges, and may be used "for controlling electrical circuits other than the singlewire circuit diagrammatically illustrated herein.

With the above in view reference is made to the embodiment of the invention shownin Figuresl to 4 inclusive, wherein it will be noted that the "numeral 10 designates a part of a vehicle body and the numeral ll indicates a part of a door supported on the vehicle body by a hinge assembly I2. The hinge assembly shown herein for the purpose of illustration comprises a member l3 in the form of an arm fixed. at one end to the door part .II and a member I4 pivoted to the free end of the arm by a pin I5. The member 14 is secured to the part I 0 of the vehicle body and the axis of the pin 15 extends generally vertically. With this arrangement the door maybe readily swung be- 3 tween the closed and open positions respectively indicated by the full and broken lines in Figure 1 of the drawings.

Secured to the arm l3 intermediate the ends thereof is a bracket [6 generally U-shaped in cross section. The base ll of the bracket is welded or otherwise permanently secured to the arm 13 in spaced relation to the pivot l and the flanges l8 support a pivot pin [9 with its axis extending substantially parallel to the axis of the hinge pin l5. As shown particularly in Figure 2 of the drawings, one end of a bar 20 of electrical conducting material such as steel projects into the bracket I6 between the flanges l8 and is pivoted on the pin iii. For reasons which will be apparent from the following description, the bar 20 is insulated from electrical connection with the bracket l6. This is accomplished by providing a bushing 2| and a pair of washers 22 of dielectric material. The washers 22 are respectively located between the flanges I8 and adjacent sides of the arm 20, while the bushing 2| surrounds the pivot pin 19.

Welded or otherwise suitably secured to the part It of the bodyis a housing 23 having one side open, and registering with a slot 24 in the adjacent portion of the body part It. The opposite wall 25 of the housing is formed with a slot which registers with the slot 24 inthe body part It. The bar 26 projects through the'slo-ts previouslydescribed and the latter are of sufiicient size to enable free angular movement of the bar relative to the body part during opening and closing movements of the door.

- In the present instance the bar 20 is slidably supported on the housing 23 by a guide 2'! in the form of a bushing of electrical conducting material secured to the inner side of the wall 25 of the housing by suitable fastener elements 28. In the present embodiment of the invention the bar 20 and bushing guide 2| are rectangular in cross section, although it will be understood that the bar 20 and associated bushing may be of various different cross sectional areas.

Secured to the free end of the bar 2!) beyond the housing 23 is a bumper 29 preferably formed of a resilient material such for example as rubber. The purpose of the bumper is to engage the outer side of the wall 25 of the housing 23 to limit the extent of swinging movement of the door part II in the door opening direction. It will also be noted that a pair of spring fingers 30 are respectively secured to the bar 20 at opposite sides of the latter in a position to project through the slot 26 in the wall 25 of the housing '23 and engage the bushing 21 to frictionally hold the door in its fully opened position. It will, of course, be understood that these fingers may or may not be used depending upon whether or not it is desired to'hold the door in its open position.

Referring again to Figure 1 of the drawings, it will be noted that the free'end of the bar 20 is also provided with a terminal 3! for connecting the same to one side 32 of an electric circuit 32. The side 32 of the electric circuit is serially connected to an electrically operated device 33,. such for example, as a lamp, and to a source of electrical energy 34 shown herein as being in the form of a battery. In detail it will be noted that the positive pole 35 of the battery is connected to the side 32' of the circuit, and the negative pole 36 is grounded on a part of the vehicle frame indicated by the numeral 31.

It has previously been pointed out that the bar 20 is insulated from electrical contact with the body frame structure, so that the bar 20 is not electrically grounded. However, the bushing 21 is secured directly to the body structure and is therefore electrically grounded. As a result when the bar 20 is in metal-to-metal contact with the bushing 21, the circuit to the illuminating means 33 is closed.

In the present instance it is desired to close the circuit when the door is swung from its closed position toward its open position, and to open the circuit When the door is returned to its closed position. In order to open the circuit, a bushing 38 of dielectric material is permanently secured to the bar 29 ina, position to engage the inner sides of the bushing 21 when the door part II is in its fully closed position. Thus the electrical circuit is broken when the door is closed, and is automatically energized when the door is opened sufficiently to advance the dielectric bushing 38 beyond the guide bushing 27. It follows from the above that the cooperating parts of the door check also form a switch for opening and closing an electric circuit to the device 33.

Figures 5 and 6 show .a bar it constructed in a somewhat different manner than the corresponding bar 2i) previously described. In detail the bar 58 has the free end portion il thereof reduced in size, so that the outer surfaces of the dielectric bushing 3% lie flush with the adjacent surfaces of the bar. The bushing 38 is held in position against the shoulder iii, formed by the reduced portion 4|, by a sleeve 53. The sleeve 43 is telescoped on the reduced portion 4! beyond the bushing 38, and iswelded or otherwise secured in place.

The embodiment shown in Figure 7 is similar to the one previously described in connection with Figures 5 and 6, except for the fact that the bar and dielectric bushing are circular in cross section. Accordingly the same reference characters employed in Figures 5 and6 are applied to corresponding parts of the construction shown in Figure '7.

In Figure 8 of the drawings I have shown a construction for controlling-the electric circuit independently of the door check arm 4 and its associated guide bushing i5. In detail the pivot pin 46 for mounting the bar 4! on the bracket I6 is extended beyond one of the flanges N3 of the bracket, and a bar ii i pivoted on the upper end of the pin it. The bar i'i' is insulated from electrical contact with both the pin and bracket it by washers 38 and. by a bushing id of dielectric material.

The bar 4i extends parallel to the bar M and 1 projects through the registering slots 2% and 26 respectively formed in the body part ill and Wall 25 of the housing 23. The bar 47 is supported for sliding movement by a guide bushing 50 secured to the inner side 01" the wall 25 of the housing 23 in a position to receive the bar ii. The guide bushingfiii is electrically connected in the circuit 32 through the ground connection 37, and the opposite side 32' of the circuit is electrically connected to the free endof the bar 41.

It follows from the above that metal-to-metal contact of the bar 3'! and bushing 55) closes the electric cir'cuit32 tothe illuminating device 33. In order to provide for opening this circuit in the closed position of the door, a bushing 5! of dielectric material is secured to the arm ll in a position toengage the inner surface of the bushing 50 when the door is in its fully closed position.

In the modification shown in Figures 9 and 10 the guide bushing 21 forms no part of the switch means and a separate contactor 52 is provided for engagement with the bar to control the electric circuit 32. The arm shown in Figures 8 and 9 is identical to the arm illustrated in Figure 5 and accordingly the same reference numerals are employed to designate corresponding parts. The contactor 52 for the bar 40 in Figures 9 and 10 is in the form of a spring finger having one end secured in contact with the wall of the housing 23 by one of the fastener elements 28 and having the other end frictionally engageable with one edge of the bar 43. Thus the spring contactor 52 is connected to the ground 31 and since the bar 40 is electrically connected to the opposite side 32 of the circuit, the latter is closed when the contactor engages the bar 40. The location of the Spring contactor 52 is such that when the door is in its completely closed position the free end of the contactor frictionally engages the dielectric bushing 38 on the bar 40, and thereby opens the circuit to the device 33.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 11 illustrates another type of contactor bar. This bar comprises coextensive parts 53 and 54 having the adjacent ends secured together in any suitable manner. The part 53 is of dielectric material, and is pivotally supported on the pin IS in the same manner as the bar 20 previously described. The part 54 is of electrical conducting material; and, if desired, may have a door stop and flexible holding fingers secured to the free end thereof in the same manner previously described in connection with the bar 20. In any case the free end of the metal part is electrically connected to the side 32 of the electric circuit. I

The guide bushing 21 slidably receives the bar and is electrically connected to the circuit through the ground connection 31 in the same manner as the guide bushing 21 described above in connection with Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. The arrangement is such that when the door is in its closed position, the dielectric part 53 of the arm engages the grounded bushing 21, so that the circuit is open. On the other hand, when the door is swung toward its open position, the part 54 contacts the bushing 21, and the electric circuit is closed.

It follows from th foregoing that while several of the mbodiments of the invention are shown and described herein, nevertheless, all of the construction provide a switching arrangement which operates automatically in response to relative movement of cooperating hinge members to make and break an electric circuit. It will also be noted that the present invention renders it possible to incorporate the switching means as a part of door check mechanism, so that the latter actually performs a dual function. In addition each of the embodiments provides a simple, reliable switching mechanism capable of being inexpensively manufactured, assembled and installed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A combined door check and switch for use with a door member mounted for swinging movement relative to a stationary frame member, said door check and switch comprising a check arm formed of electrically conducting metal and adapted to be pivotally mounted at one end to one of said members, a guide adapted to be mounted on the other member and having an opening therethrough surrounding and in contact with said check arm, said check arm having a head at its other end engageable with said guide to limit movement of said arm in said guide, said check arm having insulating material inset into its surface with the outer surface of said insulating material flush with the adjacent surface of said arm, and positioned to be interposed between the metal of said arm and said guide when the door is in a first predetermined position, means insulating said check arm from its pivot support, and an electric connection to said check arm to complete a circuit from said arm to said guide when the door is in a second predetermined position in which said inset insulating means is spaced from said guide.

2. Structure a defined in claim 1 in which said check arm is of rectangular cross-section, one end portion of said check arm being reduced, said inset insulating material being in the form of a sleeve surrounding the reduced portion of said arm adjacent the remaining portion thereof, and a second sleeve formed of metal sleeved over the reduced portion of said arm and having an end abutting the end of said insulating sleeve.

RICHARD C. HASCALL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 843,805 Granger Feb. 12, 1907 1,174,142 Harris Mar. '7, 1916 1,229,896 Dake June 12, 1917 1,675,203 White June 26, 1928 

